Abstract

Growth and development of children affected by various risk factors include malnutrition, poverty, and a less stimulated home environment. The objective of this analysis was to calculate the proportion of growth and development disorder and to determine the association of food intake and care for children with children’s growth and development. Samples were 247 children aged of 0.5-1.9 years who participated in the South East Asian Nutrition Survey (SEANUTS) in 2011. Growth was assesed by height for age in Z-score of WHO standard. Development was measured using Denver II test. Children were divided into four groups: 1).normal height with normal development (NH-ND); 2).stunting with normal development (S-ND), 3).normal height with suspected underdevelopment (NH-SD), and 4).stunting with suspected underdevelopment (S-SD). Protein intake was divided into adequate (≥80% RDA) and inadequate (<80% RDA). Care for children was measured by the length of carrying them, categorized into ≤2 hours or >2 hours. Socio-economic status was categorized into low and high based on quintile. Age was categorized into 0.5–0.9 years and 1.0–1.9 years. Data analysis employed multi-nomial logistic regression. Proportions of NH-SD, S-ND, NH-SD and S-SD were 53.6%, 17.9%, 19.4%, and 9.1%, respectively. S-ND was associated with protein intake (OR=2.2;95%CI:1.1-4.6), aged 1.0–1.9 years (OR=6.9: 95%CI:2.2-22.1). NH-SD was associated with aged 1–1.9 years (OR=0.3; 95%CI:0.1-0.6). S-SD was associated with inadequate protein intake (OR=3.1; 95%CI:1.2-8.2), low SES and duration of carrying them more than 2 hours (OR=6.9; 95%CI:2.5-19.0). Protein intake, SES and care for children were risk factors for growth and development of children.

Fernald LCH, Kariger P, Engle P, Raikes Examining Early Child Development in Low-Income Countries:A Toolkit for the Assessment of Children in the First Five Years of Life. Washington DC 20433: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank,2009.

Prado EL and Dewey KG. Nutrition and brain development in early life. Nutrition Reviews, 2014; 72(4):267–284.